[chapter thirteen]
Disclaimer: If you've heard of them, I don't own them. Everything else is mine, so no stealing, pretty please. ;-)
A/N: Man, I'm wordy in this one!
**
Junior jumped as he heard the front door slam on the floor above him. He figured Jimmie wouldn't be back so quickly, so he was a little concerned. Granted, he didn't know Jimmie that well, but he assumed people weren't just coming in and out of his house all the time uninvited. Not like Junior's house where the DMP was forever walking in and out, borrowing movies, raiding his refrigerator or using his computers.
Junior paused the movie and walked to the bottom of the stairs quietly. He thought he heard someone muttering, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. He quickly mounted the stairs and walked into the family room, which was completely aglow with what looked like hundreds of tiny candles. He took a step back and surveyed the situation with a puzzled look on his face.
That's when he saw Casey.
She was still standing by the front door, a look of shock on her face as she turned and stared straight at him. Her eyes locked on his, and he felt his heart leap from his chest.
"Casey. Hey, I … what the hell … " He gestured widely and tried to articulate his thoughts, which were few and far between. Mostly, he was just confused.
"Did you do this?" Casey asked quietly.
"No. Swear to god." Junior answered honestly. Casey instantly believed him, but still looked around in disbelief.
"Then who … " She began, then paused, taking a deep breath. "Those little brats."
"Huh?" Junior asked, walking slowly towards her.
"Jimmie and Denise. They set us up. They must have." Casey said evenly. "They probably orchestrated this whole reunion. How'd they get you here?"
"Um … Jimmie picked me up to watch a movie, then got called to a meeting at work a little bit ago." Junior answered as the realization dawned on him that Jimmie and Denise had duped them both. "You?"
"Jimmie said he was already at work and had forgotten a file at home he needed me to pick up right away. I can't believe it. I'm going to kill them both with my bare hands." Casey said forcefully.
"Because they are forcing you to see me?" Junior asked gloomily.
"Because they decided when and where and how and who for me. I hate that." Casey said. "But I'll admit, it looks pretty." She said softly, looking around at the soft candlelight and noting the roses and the smell of something cooking in the kitchen.
"Think they're trying to tell us something?" Junior asked, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking on the ball of his feet nervously. Casey nodded slowly, still looking around the room. "We need to talk." He said quietly.
"I know." Casey said, kicking off her shoes and walking slowly into the family room. She sat down on the overstuffed couch in the middle of the room, and Junior followed suit, also losing his shoes and walking towards the couch. "But can I have a drink first?" Casey asked.
"Sure." He muttered. "Wine?" He asked, knowing her penchant for red wine. "I'm sure Jimmie has some somewhere."
"Thanks." She said quietly. She listened as she heard glasses clinking and a cork popping, while trying valiantly to organize her thoughts. Within moments Junior reappeared with two glasses of wine, and carefully handed her one of them. He sat down on the couch, careful to keep a safe distance between them. Casey took a sip and smiled. "Jimmie always had good wine in the house."
Junior ducked his head, embarrassed. He was lucky to have Kool-Aid, much less the right bottle of wine. He took a deep breath then decided to plunge in head first. "I'm sorry. I was such an ass, and you didn't deserve it. Case, I'm so, so sorry."
"Yeah, you were." She said softly. "Why?" She asked simply, turning to look Junior straight in the eye. "Why?" She repeated.
Junior ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Man, there are so many things that are just so wrong with me. I'm so fucked up, Case." His voice was so forlorn, so lost that Casey had to fight the urge to take him in her arms and hug the hurt away.
"Talk to me." Casey asked. "Don't censor, just talk."
"But … " Junior began.
"I'm not going anywhere, Dale. I promise."
Junior's head snapped up and looked at her. This beautiful person, this beautiful girl, lit by a thousand candles, this girl he was completely head over heels for, wasn't going to leave him. Not yet, anyway, he reasoned. He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again with a deep breath.
"I guess it all started with you being at the tracks every weekend." Junior said quietly. "I've never had a girlfriend who went to the races. I mean, like, Tiffani only went to a couple of races, but didn't like it. She was bored, or she didn't care, or she got mad at how busy I always was. So she decided to make sure I was paying attention by flirting with everybody she could and basically getting in everyone's way so that everyone would notice her. That's no good for anyone on race weekend, and it sure as hell wasn't good for me."
Casey nodded, but said nothing. Her mind was spinning, but she calmed it with a sip of wine and by focusing on Junior's troubled face.
"And you … you came to every single race. And you knew exactly how to be - hell, you even got a job, which I think is awesome." Junior smiled. "But, even though I love having you around and love that you aren't a bitch to me every weekend like she was, I realized how much guys checked you out, or were talking to you." Junior said. "I know that sounds really fuckin' immature, but I didn't like it. I mean, Tiffani went out of her way to be checked out, but you were the complete opposite, which I think weirded me out even more. And then the whole Adam thing. I don't know what it was, but I got weird vibes whenever he was around. I didn't like it. Seeing him with you made me insanely jealous, even though I had no right to be. God, I hate that - I hate being that guy."
"About Adam … " Casey began. "He's … "
Junior held up a hand, silencing her. "It's none of my business, really."
"Junior." She said quietly, trying to hide a smile. "Let's settle a few things right now. First off, Adam is gay. Okay? Gay. You and he have a better chance of hooking up than he and I do. So let's stop the whole Adam jealousy thing right now."
Junior blinked several times before a smile crept across his lips. "No." He whispered. Casey nodded, laughing slightly. "Really?" Casey nodded again. "I'm such a tool." Casey nodded emphatically and Junior laughed out loud.
"You never struck me as a jealous person, what with all the attention that you always get, so when you wigged about Adam, especially since I knew about him, it freaked me out. It was a side of you I was unprepared for." Casey said, her laughter dying.
"I know." Junior said, turning serious again. "Took me by surprise too - it was one thing to be pissed because your girlfriend did it deliberately, it's another when you just wig out on your own. I'm sorry. Of all people - after the whole Jimmie breakup thing, you'd think I would be better about guys and you and … " Junior trailed off, his face reddening. "Talk about a fuckin' hypocrite."
"Why did you goad me the other night? About how much attention you get from girls?" Casey asked. "Why would you do that?"
Junior shook his head. "I dunno, Case. I was mad, I was pissed that Tiffani was there, and I was jealous of Adam and every other guy. I just was lashing out at you to make myself feel better, I think. You know you can trust me, right? You don't doubt that, right?"
"I never stopped trusting you, Junior. I was extraordinarily pissed off at you, but I trusted you. What's the point of being with one person if you are going to stray? Just quit being together. That's the way I see it." Casey said. "That's why I had to break things off with Jimmie. And I trust that you would ditch me in a heartbeat if you didn't love me anymore, or if you wanted to be with someone else."
"I don't ever want to be with someone else. All those girls, Case ... It's like I don't even see them anymore - by the garages or at the fences or driving around town." Junior said honestly. "I don't see them. I only look for you."
Casey closed her eyes, giving a silent prayer of thanks that infidelity wasn't an issue. But then her eyes snapped back open. "Why did you kiss her then?" She asked, looking directly at Junior.
"Because I wanted some sort of way to get back at her. I know she still likes me, but there's no way she and I would ever get back together. I think it was my way of teasing her the way she always teased me - especially since this is the first time I've seen her since we broke up. And I was pissed about guys looking at you, and I was pissed that you were working when I had time off, and I was just ... " Junior said, embarrassed. "Case, I'm sorry. I was … "
"Just being an asshole with absolutely no judgment or consideration for my feelings?" Casey filled in for him indignantly.
"Yeah." Junior said, freely admitting his fault. "I was. And I can't say I'm sorry enough. It meant nothing. It was a goodbye kiss. A permanent one."
Casey regarded him warily, trying to sort out her feelings for this man - and her trust of him.
"I want to tell you something. But I'm gonna fuck it up." Junior said, taking one of her hands gently in his. "I'm totally in love with you. I've dated girls, hell, had girlfriends before, but not like this. Casey, I'm scared to death of you. By how much I love you, but how protective I am, of how you are the only thing on my mind half the time. I swear to god, Tony is talkin' about gear ratios, and I'm thinkin' how cute you look in my sweatshirts, or wondering when I'm going to see you again. I've totally fallen for you, and it scares the shit out of me. I love only you. I want only you. And I want you to trust me." He shrugged. "Just thought you should know all that." Junior held his breath as Casey was completely silent for a good thirty seconds, just staring into his eyes.
"I already knew all that." Casey said softly. "But it's nice to finally hear you say it." She smiled and he smiled in relief. "Why do I love you, you bonehead?"
"Beats the hell out of me, but I thank my lucky stars every day that you do. I'd be a wreck without you, I swear to god. A total wreck."
Casey's eyes pooled with tears
as he gently touched his lips to hers, and she knew everything in the world
was finally right again.